*Note this story is in Tagalog

“Isang beses pa! Yan na lang ang maibibigay ko sayo bago kita tanggalin sa trabaho!” Kumalabog ang pinto nang isara at naiwan si Josh na nag-iisip kung paano niya maaayos ang sitwasyon.

Apat na buwan na bangungot sa trabaho niyang logistics ang nakikipagtitigan sa kaniya. Wala nang magagawa pang paraan para maayos pa ang problema matapos ang mga problema, o pananabotahe gaya ng laging pinapaliwanag ni Josh sa boss niya. Masyadong maraming pangyayari ang nagtutugma para mauwi ito sa ganito.

Nagkaroon ng landslide noong unang buwan na nakaabala sa kalsada. Tatlong linggo silang pinahirapan at naantala dahil sa paglilinis ng kalsada sa napakamahal na halaga. Malapit nang ma-overbudget ang project.

Ilang linggo matapos ang insidenteng yon, nanakaw ang mga trak at walang makapagturo kung sino ang may kagagawan. Walang saysay ang pagpapataas ng seguridad dahil patuloy lang na nangyayari ang pagkawala at lalo lang tumataas ang gastos. Isang bagay ang masisi sa ginawang kasalanan ngunit alam ni Josh na ginawa niya ang lahat ng tama. May tao sa likod ng mga ito, pinaninindigan niya to.

Naghintay si Josh sa construction site. Alam niyang baliw na ang tingin sa kaniya ng mga tauhan niyia, ngunit wala na siyang pakialam lalo ngayon na sigurado siya sa ginagawa niya. Mabigat ang camera sa kamay niya, matigas ang ulo niya pero hindi siya inutil. Napahamak na siya sa trabaho niya, hindi na niya hahayaang lumala pa ito. Kahit na anong ebidensya ng pananabotahe ay sapat na para malinis ang pangalan niya.

Alas dos na ng madaling araw nang may maamoy siyang usok. Ito na ang pagkakataon niya; may nagbabalak na magsimula ng sunog sa compound.  Tumakbo siya patungo sa pinanggagalingan ng amoy habang nakahanda ang camera niya.

Tatlong araw ang nakalipas, itinapon ng boss ni Josh ang mga gamit nito sa basurahan. “Sayang.” Kailanman ay hindi inisip ng boss ni Josh na siya ay duwag ngunit may mga paraan talaga ang mga tao para madismaya ka. “Tumakbo na siguro yon dahil sa sobrang dami ng dapat gawin,” sinabi niya ito kahit wala siyang kausap. “Ngayon, kailangan kong imisin ang mga problema niya.”

The last thing that was left was Josh’s camera. His boss looked through the pictures and saw nothing but tree trunks. “Useless,” He said as he tossed it in the trash.

Ang tangi lang na natira sa gamit ni Josh ay ang camera niya. Tiningnan niya ang mga pictures at wala siyang ibang nakita kundi mga punong kahoy. “walang kwenta” at tinapon ang camera sa basurahan.

=————————————–

English Version

“One more chance! That’s all I’m giving you before you’re fired!” The door slammed shut and Josh was left wondering how he could salvage the situation.

Four months of logistical nightmares were staring him in the face. There was no way the development could be completed after the setbacks, or sabotage as Josh kept trying to convince his boss. Too many coincidences were happening for it to be anything else.

The first month a landslide happened, completely cutting off the road. 3 painstaking weeks of clearing the rocks had to be done at a very expensive cost. The project was already dangerously close to becoming over budget and that tipped the scales.

A few weeks later whole trucks were being stolen and no one could find the culprit. Increasing the security was useless since it just kept happening and more money was being spent. Josh couldn’t handle it anymore. It was one thing to be blamed for your own mistakes, but he knew he did everything right. There was someone behind this, there had to be.

Josh waited at the construction site. He knew his workers were thinking he was crazy, but he couldn’t care about that, not when he had work to be done. The camera felt heavy in his hands, he was stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. His job was already at risk, he wasn’t going to take chances on his life. Any evidence of sabotage would be enough to clear him of any fault.

It was about 2 AM when he smelled smoke. He knew this was his chance; someone was trying to set the compound on fire. He ran towards the acrid smell with his camera ready.

Three days later his boss tossed the remains of Josh’s belongings in the garbage. “What a waste.” The man never thought that Josh would be a coward, but people had a way of disappointing you. “He probably ran away because it was too much responsibility,” he said to no one in particular “Now I have to clean up his mess.”

The last thing that was left was Josh’s camera. His boss looked through the pictures and saw nothing but tree trunks. “Useless,” He said as he tossed it in the trash.

=——————————=

*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Reina Mikee
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Reina Mikee

Inspired by the Aniani entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Aniani Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Cebuano

Usa nalang ka higayon! Mao ni ang kinataposang abiso nga akong ihatag kanimo una tika
tangtangon sa trabaho!” Ming lamba ang pultahan samtang si Josh naghunahuna unsaon niya
pag salba ang sitwasyon.

Upat ka bulan nga Logistical Nightmare ang mingtutuk kaniya. Dili gyud mahimo nga mahuman
ang pagmugna tungod sa mga nahitabong kalangan og sabotahe nga maoy gi himong rason ni
Josh sa iyang boss. Daghan ra kaayong mga pag-atol ang nahitabo nga mura bag gi plano.
Sa unang buwan, adunay pagdahili sa yuta nga nahitabo. Ming-abot og tulo ka semana ang
paghabwa sa mga bato og yuta nga nag ali sa kalsada aron magamit pag balik ang dalan, unya
kini pirte pagyung mahala. Tungod aning panghitabo, minlapas na siya sa budget.

Pipila ka semana human aning hitaboa, mga truck napud ang mga gipangkawat unya wa gyud
masakpan ang kawatan. Kini maoy hinungdan sa pag pasaka sa seguridad apan kini usab
nanghinanglan og dako-dako nga kantidad. Wa nani nakaya ni Josh. Pwede ra siyang basulon
sa ubang buntang apan siya mismo kahibaw nga iya nang gibuhat ang tanan. Naka-antigo siya
nga aduna gyud nagpaloyo ani iyang nasinati.

Nag atang-atang si Josh sa Construction Site. Kaibaw na siyang nag hunahuna na iyang mga
trabahante nga tingale na buang na siya pero wa na niya panumbalingi. Bug-at ang camera sa
iyang mga kamot. Balirusu si Josh apan dili siya bogo. Hapit na siyang mawad-an og trabaho,
maong wa na siya nag duha duha sa pagkuha og ebidensya nga makatangtang sa pagbasol
nga gihatag kaniya.

Alas dos sa kabuntagon sa dihang nakapanimaho siyag aso. Mao na kini iyang gi paabot nga
higayon. Adunay gusto sunogon ang compound. Ming dagan siya pa-ingon saa aso samtang
nagkupot sa iyang camera.

Tulo ka adlaw ang ming-agi, gilabay na sa boss ni Josh ang iyang mga gamit. “Sayanga.” Nag
tuo siya nga dili talawan si Josh apan naa gyuy usahay nga mutalaw ang ka taw unya daganan
niya iyang mga responsibilidad. Iyang giyawyaw. “Karun, ako nay mulimpyo sa iyang agi.”
Ang nahabilin nalang kay nga camera ni Josh. Gitan-aw kini sa iyang boss apan wala kini laing
sulod kung di mga hulagway sa mga punuan. “Walay gamit.” Iyang gisulti dungan labay sa
basurahan.

=————————-=

English Version

“One more chance! That’s all I’m giving you before you’re fired!” The door slammed shut and Josh was left wondering how he could salvage the situation.

Four months of logistical nightmares were staring him in the face. There was no way the development could be completed after the setbacks, or sabotage as Josh kept trying to convince his boss. Too many coincidences were happening for it to be anything else.

The first month a landslide happened, completely cutting off the road. 3 painstaking weeks of clearing the rocks had to be done at a very expensive cost. The project was already dangerously close to becoming over budget and that tipped the scales.

A few weeks later whole trucks were being stolen and no one could find the culprit. Increasing the security was useless since it just kept happening and more money was being spent. Josh couldn’t handle it anymore. It was one thing to be blamed for your own mistakes, but he knew he did everything right. There was someone behind this, there had to be.

Josh waited at the construction site. He knew his workers were thinking he was crazy, but he couldn’t care about that, not when he had work to be done. The camera felt heavy in his hands, he was stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. His job was already at risk, he wasn’t going to take chances on his life. Any evidence of sabotage would be enough to clear him of any fault.

It was about 2 AM when he smelled smoke. He knew this was his chance; someone was trying to set the compound on fire. He ran towards the acrid smell with his camera ready.

Three days later his boss tossed the remains of Josh’s belongings in the garbage. “What a waste.” The man never thought that Josh would be a coward, but people had a way of disappointing you. “He probably ran away because it was too much responsibility,” he said to no one in particular “Now I have to clean up his mess.”

The last thing that was left was Josh’s camera. His boss looked through the pictures and saw nothing but tree trunks. “Useless,” He said as he tossed it in the trash.

————————–————————–——————–

*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Julius Cesar Cudera
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Julius Cesar Cudera

Inspired by the Aniani entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Aniani Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

*Note this story is in Waray

“Sayo nala nga tsansa! Mao nala ak puyde mahatag saim bago ko ikaw tanggalon!” Ginlamba niya an purtahan ngan nahibilin si Josh nga nag iisip kun paanano niya mahihimuan paagi an sitwasyon.

Upat ka bulan nga problema sa pagbyahe an kanya gin-aatubang. Imposible nga an pag-upay kay mahuhuman dayon kahuman sa mga panhitabo, o bangin sabotahe samtang gin kukunbinsir ni Josh an kanya amo. Kadamo ura-ura sa mga dudrungan nga panhitabo para magin iba la ine.

Sa una nga bulan kay may landslide nga nahitabo ngan napunggan an bug-os nga kalsada. Tulo ka semana nga paglimpyo sa mga bato an dapat himuon ngan grabe ura-ura an gastos. Harani na sa pagigin over budget in nga trabahuon ngan dire na maupay.

Kahuman sa pira ka semana, bug-os na mismo nga mga trak an nagkakawara ngan dire nira mahibaruan kun sin-o may sala. Bisan padamuon pa an paragbantay kay wara gihapon pulos kay uro-utro la an nahitatabo ngan nagtikadako la an kanra gasto. Di na naruyag si Josh nga sugad nala siton pirme. Iba an basulon sa imo sala, pero maaram siya ginhimo la niya an mga tama nga butang. Yaon gud sine may sala, dapat yaon gud.

Naghulat si Josh sa construction site. Maaram siya nga pag abat sa iba nga trabahante mali na siya napapalingki, pero wara siya labot siton, mao pa nga yaon dapat himuon nga trabahuon. Mabug-at an kamera nga kanya dara, di siya danay namamati pero di man siya bungog. Delikado na an kanya trabaho, mao nga di na siya matuyang nga di kuhaon an tsansa sa kanya kinabuhi. Bisan nano nga ebidensya sap ag sabotahe kay puyde na para la mahibaruan nga dire siya an may sala.

Mga alas dos sa kaadlawon san yaon siya nahumot nga mali nasusunog. Naisip niya nga mao na ine an kanya tsansa, yaon naruyag sunugon an kanra trabahuan. Mao nga dinalagan dayon siya tikadto sa mabaho nga nahuhumot samtang dara-dara niya an kamera.

Paglabay sa tulo kaadlaw, ginlabog sa amo an mga nabilin nga gamit ni Josh ngadto sa basurahan. “Kakarag”. Wara gud niya naisip nga talawan si Josh pero ananuhon man nga may mga tawo nga di gud masarigan. “Nilarga siguro kay kadako ura-ura sine nga responsibilidad”, kanya sugad sa kanya kahampang. “Yana ako lugod an maglilimpyo sine nga kanya mga samok.”

An nahibilin nala kay an kamera ni Josh. Gin imdan sa kanya amo an mga piktyur pero wara siya iba nga naimdan kundi puro manla mga lawas saa puno. “Kawara pulos”, mao an kanya nabagaw samtang ginlalabog niya iton sa basurahan.

=———————————————————————————-=

English Version

“One more chance! That’s all I’m giving you before you’re fired!” The door slammed shut and Josh was left wondering how he could salvage the situation.

Four months of logistical nightmares were staring him in the face. There was no way the development could be completed after the setbacks, or sabotage as Josh kept trying to convince his boss. Too many coincidences were happening for it to be anything else.

The first month a landslide happened, completely cutting off the road. 3 painstaking weeks of clearing the rocks had to be done at a very expensive cost. The project was already dangerously close to becoming over budget and that tipped the scales.

A few weeks later whole trucks were being stolen and no one could find the culprit. Increasing the security was useless since it just kept happening and more money was being spent. Josh couldn’t handle it anymore. It was one thing to be blamed for your own mistakes, but he knew he did everything right. There was someone behind this, there had to be.

Josh waited at the construction site. He knew his workers were thinking he was crazy, but he couldn’t care about that, not when he had work to be done. The camera felt heavy in his hands, he was stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. His job was already at risk, he wasn’t going to take chances on his life. Any evidence of sabotage would be enough to clear him of any fault.

It was about 2 AM when he smelled smoke. He knew this was his chance; someone was trying to set the compound on fire. He ran towards the acrid smell with his camera ready.

Three days later his boss tossed the remains of Josh’s belongings in the garbage. “What a waste.” The man never thought that Josh would be a coward, but people had a way of disappointing you. “He probably ran away because it was too much responsibility,” he said to no one in particular “Now I have to clean up his mess.”

The last thing that was left was Josh’s camera. His boss looked through the pictures and saw nothing but tree trunks. “Useless,” He said as he tossed it in the trash.

=—————————————————————————————=

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Waray translation by Jmee Juanerio
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jmee Juanerio

Inspired by the Aniani entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Aniani Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

“One more chance! That’s all I’m giving you before you’re fired!” The door slammed shut and Josh was left wondering how he could salvage the situation.

Four months of logistical nightmares were staring him in the face. There was no way the development could be completed after the setbacks, or sabotage as Josh kept trying to convince his boss. Too many coincidences were happening for it to be anything else.

The first month a landslide happened, completely cutting off the road. 3 painstaking weeks of clearing the rocks had to be done at a very expensive cost. The project was already dangerously close to becoming over budget and that tipped the scales.

A few weeks later whole trucks were being stolen and no one could find the culprit. Increasing the security was useless since it just kept happening and more money was being spent. Josh couldn’t handle it anymore. It was one thing to be blamed for your own mistakes, but he knew he did everything right. There was someone behind this, there had to be.

Josh waited at the construction site. He knew his workers were thinking he was crazy, but he couldn’t care about that, not when he had work to be done. The camera felt heavy in his hands, he was stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. His job was already at risk, he wasn’t going to take chances on his life. Any evidence of sabotage would be enough to clear him of any fault.

It was about 2 AM when he smelled smoke. He knew this was his chance; someone was trying to set the compound on fire. He ran towards the acrid smell with his camera ready.

Three days later his boss tossed the remains of Josh’s belongings in the garbage. “What a waste.” The man never thought that Josh would be a coward, but people had a way of disappointing you. “He probably ran away because it was too much responsibility,” he said to no one in particular “Now I have to clean up his mess.”

The last thing that was left was Josh’s camera. His boss looked through the pictures and saw nothing but tree trunks. “Useless,” He said as he tossed it in the trash.

————————–————————–——————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Aniani entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Aniani Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen